Minor League Baseball in SoCal: Affordable Family Fun

We’re always looking for affordable ways to have fun with the whole family, and it turns out that SoCal Minor League Baseball is one of the best. My family and I headed to San Bernardino and caught a game between the Inland Empire 66ers and the Rancho Cucamonga Quakes – at the 66ers stadium — and I’ll tell you all about the great time we had. The super fun fan experience, the Stadium, and the price all contribute.

Play ball!

My family and I were guests of MILB for this game; this is a sponsored post.

Minor League Baseball is Fun

We got the sense right away that Minor League ball is all about fun. In between innings the team ran contests for fans to run the bases, or used a giant slingshot to send hot dogs flying high into the stands. It was hilarious and really showed that they wanted everyone to have a good time.

Say hello to Bernie of San Bernardino!

Bernie, the 66ers mascot, also helps make the game fun. Bernie is quite the character and when he hams it up on top of the dugout, it makes everyone happy. Kids love him because he’s just silly, and adults seem to especially love when he brings out the Beer Batter sign.

The Beer Batter sign comes out when there’s a batter on the opposing side they really need to strike out – and if they do, the crowd gets to buy beer for the discounted price of $2.50. It gets everyone cheering for the pitcher when he can use the support, and if he’s successful, the crowd dashes out for a cheap beer. A win-win!

Strike ’em out!

The teams both played well, and while my husband and I felt some of the players resembled young children (ah, youth!), it sure looked like they were having fun, too. Turns out the Quakes are a feeder team for the Dodgers, and the 66ers have that relationship with the Angels, so it was like seeing a “Freeway Series” game!

Getting to the Inland Empire

The drive from LA was smooth, and we made it extra fun by stopping at The Donut Man in Glendora and the Original McDonald’s Location Museum in San Bernardino.

Once we arrived, we were happy to find loads of super convenient parking at a good price, and a stadium filled with great seats. It seemed like anywhere you sat you had a great view of the action.

The stadium is equipped with two shaded dining areas and an area under the trees where you can sit with your furry family members, too. They even have a set of inflatables for the kids, so they’re thought of pretty much everything to keep you happy.

Shade = good!

Shaded dining = extra good!

An Affordable Family Outing

Tickets at the 66ers Stadium are affordably priced, ranging from $5 on the lawn to $17 for their Executive Box seats. Which is not bad when you think about multiplying that for a family. And the food was decently priced and very tasty. You pretty much have to have a hot dog at a ball game, right?

Hot dog and garlic fries for the win!

The team also offers multiple promotions, including $2 Tuesdays, free tickets on Wednesday when you show your bus pass, 50-cent Fridays – where the tickets are the regular price, but hot dogs are two for a buck!

Don’t forget the merch!

The team also transforms into Los Cucuys every Thursday home game, and even wears a different uniform for those games. To quote the team’s website:

The team was selected by Minor League Baseball as one of the 33 teams to be part of the exclusive Copa de la Diversion campaign.

‘With our community rich in Latin culture, being included in this program is the perfect fit,’ said Joe Hudson, General Manager for the 66ers. ‘As a front office, we selected the team name because the Cucuy is relevant in all Latino cultures.’

My family had a lot of fun watching the Inland Empire 66ers take on the Rancho Cucamonga Quakes, and we are grateful to Minor League Baseball for hosting us. I can highly recommend heading out to a Minor League game this Summer; it was great family fun and a very affordable way to do it.

My family, squeezing into a selfie at the game

Sarah Auerswald is the co-Founder of MomsLA.com and a baseball fan. She and her family were guests of Minor League Baseball and this is a sponsored post. All opinions expressed here are her own.

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